The 7 Hermetic Principles are key ideas in Hermeticism, a philosophical and spiritual tradition based on writings of Hermes Trismegistus. These principles are detailed in a book called “The Kybalion,” published in 1908 by three authors who went by the name “The Three Initiates.”
Hermeticism began in the early centuries of the Common Era and combines Greek, Egyptian, and later Christian and Gnostic ideas. The principles in “The Kybalion” reflect this mix of influences and aim to offer a unified way to understand the universe and our role in it.
Interestingly, these principles have similarities to concepts in quantum physics, even though they originate from very different backgrounds—one ancient and metaphysical, the other scientific and modern.
Here’s how these principles can be related to quantum physics:
1. The Principle of Mentalism (The all is mind; the universe is mental)
Quantum Physics Connection: In quantum physics, what happens can depend a lot on the person observing it. This idea that our thoughts or awareness can affect reality is similar to the Hermetic idea that the whole universe is like a mind.
2. The Principle of Correspondence (As above, so below; as below, so above)
Quantum Physics Connection: The idea of correspondence is like the holographic principle in theoretical physics, which suggests that every part of a hologram contains the whole image. Also, in quantum entanglement, particles remain connected no matter how far apart they are, so what happens to one affects the other instantly.
3. The Principle of Vibration (Nothing rests; everything moves; everything vibrates)
Quantum Physics Connection: In quantum field theory, particles are like little disturbances in underlying fields, and everything is always moving at the quantum level. Even in what appears to be a vacuum, there is a constant fluctuation of virtual particles.
4. The Principle of Polarity (Everything is dual; everything has poles; everything has its pair of opposites)
Quantum Physics Connection: In quantum mechanics, things like light and electrons can act both like waves and particles depending on how we look at them, showing their dual nature.
5. The Principle of Rhythm (Everything flows, out and in; everything has its tides; all things rise and fall)
Quantum Physics Connection: Quantum systems show repeating patterns and wave-like behaviour. The rhythmic oscillations of particles and fields, along with the cyclical nature of many physical processes, reflects this principle.
6. The Principle of Cause and Effect (Every cause has its effect; every effect has its cause)
Quantum Physics Connection: While classical physics is very predictable, quantum physics introduces probability and uncertainty. However, cause and effect still apply in a probabilistic sense—quantum events have predictable outcomes based on initial conditions.
7. The Principle of Gender (Gender is in everything; everything has its masculine and feminine principles)
Quantum Physics Connection: This principle is more abstract, it can be loosely connected to the idea of paired properties in quantum mechanics, such as spin, which comes in pairs of up and down. It can also be seen as a metaphor for the dual nature of things and forces in the quantum world.
